London’s Victoria and Albert museum is recruiting a resident games designer.
The establishment has teamed up with Dundee’s University of Abertay on the unusual venture, and the successful candidate will create software inspired by its exhibits
The residency will run for six months in London followed by a stint in Dundee and is open to all UK-based game developers with an interest in working on software inspired by V&A exhibitions, particularly Britain 1500-1900.
“Games design is a growing industry in the UK and Britain is now one of the leaders in the world in this field. It is a highly skilled form of design that requires both creative and scientific skills,” V&A residency co-ordinator Ruth Lloyd told Wired.
“The V&A’s first games design residency is an exciting opportunity for the museum to recognise and support this form of design and will offer a games designer access to specialist expertise as well as use of the V&A’s extraordinary collections as creative inspiration to produce new work.”
The successful candidate will have access to a monthly bursary and studio space, as well as assistance from museum and university staff and an unnamed “industry mentor”.
Applications must be submitted by February 8 and further information is available on the V&A website.
Codemasters today released a new video combining both dramatic live action and stunning in-game footage of two 592bhp McLaren MP4-12cs racing at the world famous Brands Hatch circuit. GRID 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the BAFTA-award winning GRID, and is set to release this summer for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PC.
The video, part one of a series of three, follows the fortunes of Chris Harris, motoring journalist and regular contributor to YouTube’s DRIVE channel, who has joined together with Codemasters to provide insight into car handling and vehicle selection for the game. In the video, Chris throws his McLaren around the famous circuit in pursuit of McLaren test driver Mat Jackson and uses in-game expertise from GRID 2 and Codemasters staff to gain the advantage. The video shows how Brands Hatch is created in-game and features stunning real life footage of the stunning McLarens power-sliding around some of the most iconic corners in racing.
“I’m thoroughly enjoying working on these videos for GRID 2, and adding a few pointers to help develop the handling on some of the key cars in the game. It’s a great opportunity to explore the ever-closer relationship between real driving and the virtual world,” said Chris Harris. “As someone who spends so much time in the latest supercars, it’s been fascinating seeing the intricacies of the Codemasters development process used to create these virtual machines, and the accuracy of the results is mind-bending!”
Here is the video:
Brands Hatch is just one of GRID 2’s beautifully realised locations. Across three continents, players will travel the world, racing at diverse and dramatic environments including licensed tracks like Yas Marinas in Abu Dhabi and Austria’s Red Bull Ring, street circuits in Paris and Chicago and stunning open road environments including the sun-kissed California Coast and dangerous Japanese mountain roads plus many more.
GRID 2’s expansive career mode will challenge players to be fast, be first and be famous as they enter a stunning new world of competitive motorsport. In an expansive career mode, players will experience aggressive wheel-to-wheel racing against advanced AI where each spectacular race unfolds with cinematic immersion. Building on the handling model from GRID, the new TrueFeel™ Handling System will use real physics to hit a sweetspot between accessibility and simulation and deliver handling that is approachable yet challenging to master.
GRID 2 will also set new standards for a racing multiplayer experience with an entirely distinct and extensive gameplay component and unique progression system. Deep customisation options and integration with RaceNet – the online community portal for Codemasters Racing games which tracks player’s races, rewards and rivals – will offer further immersion and connectivity in GRID 2’s new world of motorsport.
Not resting on their laurels Thumbstar has been working away to improve Fridge Words based on the feedback from players and a new app update is winging its way to the Appstore in the coming week.
The update will include –
* Finally what everyone has been waiting for… Notifications
* Facebook login
* Improved hints and tips
* Dictionary update & improved definition of the letter i
* And many other more minor improvements!
Further exciting updates are planned in the coming weeks, so there’s never been a better time to give this gloriously addictive title a try. Best of all, it’s still completely free!
Trion Worlds, the leading global developer and publisher of premium connected video games, and NAMCO BANDAI Games, leading video game publisher, developer and distributor, today announced they have signed a new agreement for the distribution of the anticipated massive open-world shooterDefiance.
Following this agreement, the NAMCO BANDAI Group will distribute at retail in Europe, Middle-East, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand Defiance for the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and PC in April 2013.
Defiance is an immersive online open-world shooter for console and PC set in a future shattered Earth. A revolutionary transmedia experience, the game will launch alongside the original Syfy TV show Defiance, with events from each impacting the other’s evolution. The game combines the intense action of a console third-person shooter, with the persistence, scale, and customization of an MMO, while its TV counterpart exudes the scope, story, and drama of a classic sci-fi epic.
Golf Hall of Famer Seve Ballesteros, world No. 1 and two-time major winner Rory McIlroy will appear with living legend Tiger Woods on the cover of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, marking the first time in the franchise’s 29 year history that three golfers have appeared on a cover together.
The European edition of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 will be released in the UK and Ireland on March 28.
A Spanish golf legend, Ballesteros was one of the dominant forces in golf during the 1970’s and early 1980’s, winning the Masters Tournament twice and the Open Championship three times. Known for his imaginative and intuitive style of play, Ballesteros won a record 50 times on the European Tour and compiled an impressive 91 total professional wins during his career. Ballesteros passed away in 2011, but he is beloved by many and still honored today, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999.
All three golfers will join a roster of over 35 playable characters in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14, including the legendary golfers Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Lee Trevino.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 will give players a chance to experience golf’s rich history by allowing them to travel back in time and take down some of the greatest legends in the game.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 will also feature 20 golf courses on disc, era-specific equipment and attire and all-new features such as night golf and the inclusion of the LPGA.
Letterpress, a popular word game for iOS, has been updated with Shake-to-Shuffle, a new high contrast theme, and other improvements.
Find words, steal tiles, color the board! Letterpress is a fresh new word game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Play against your friends using Game Center! The perfect blend of fun and strategy.
What’s New In This Version:
– Shake-to-shuffle. Select some letters, then shake your phone. My wife told me to mention that she invented that. She also invented a dance to go with it (but that feature is just for me).
– You can now choose to view replays directly in Safari (or Chrome you swing that way).
– Tap on empty spaces in the letter grid to wiggle the letter that came from that spot.
– If you try to play a word when it’s not your turn, Letterpress will tell you if it’s invalid. Like proper nouns. And proper nouns. Those still aren’t allowed.
– New high-contrast theme.
– Tweaked icon.
– Show the number of words played on the played words screen.
– Spit, polish.
You can download Letterpress from the App Store for free
With only 9,999 produced, the LaCie Blade Runner is a limited edition hard drive for design-conscience consumers. Starck’s influence is evident from the complex design concept to the hands-on manufacturing process. Each unit is custom-built to ensure superb form and function. It is the statement piece in any home office, study or media room. The artistic design combines with the high-speed USB 3.0 interface and cross-platform compatibility to result in a hard drive that is as practical as it is stunning.
And here is a closer look:
As you can see, the one I got to have a look at was number 0093 of 9999.
The Blade Runner itself is very heavy (which it would be considering the material it is made out of).
If you are interested in owning one of these then you had better hurry as they are selling like hot cakes!
The LaCie Blade Runner is equipped with 10GB of complimentary Wuala Secure Cloud Storage and user-friendly backup software. It is available in a 4TB capacity through the LaCie Online Store and specialty retailers for $299.00.
Last week I was invited to the Human Centrifuge at Farnborough by EA. EA will be releasing Dead Space 3 in a few weeks and while they couldn’t send us into space, they could give us a taste of what it was like to train to go into space. Thankfully no sick bag was required!
Dead Space 3 cuts to the heart of deep space terror with award-winning suspense, horror, action and sound. Slated for release in the dead of winter, players will embark on a thrilling ride through space that takes them to a hostile new planet, Tau Volantis. There, they must battle violent, subzero conditions and deadly, highly-evolved enemies including new Necromorphs, gigantic boss creatures and – for the first time in the series – a faction of Unitologist soldiers on a misguided mission.
So having just read that about the game, you are probably wondering just what I will be doing?
Well as I said at the start, EA couldn’t really send us into space (I am still just a little disappointed by that – maybe for Dead Space 4?) and I really wouldn’t want to be attacked by a Necromorph, so the next best thing was to show us what astronauts and pilots have to go through as part of their training.
Obviously their training takes years, and we only had a few hours, so strap yourself in and I will explain what we did…..
We arrived, in the snow, at QinetiQ in Farnborough (it used to be an RAF base back in the day). Housed in an average looking building is the UK’s only human centrifuge. This particular one dates back to the 1950’s and recreates the G-forces experienced by fighter jet pilots during flight. During that time the facility has played a crucial role in developing a greater understanding of the effects of high G-forces on the human body, and countermeasures to protect against them. All of the anti-G systems currently used by RAF fast-jet aircrew have been developed and tested at the Centrifuge.
For this event we would only go up to a maximum of 4.4G (to give you an idea, the Mission: Space ride at Epcot in Orlando goes up to 2.5G). So that means that I could feel more than four times the force of gravity at the Earth’s surface (effectively multiplying my weight weight by 4.4).
So inside the pod is an ejector seat (thankfully not working) and a control stick (again non functional). There is a series of computers, monitors, cameras and lights that monitor your heart beat and various other things.
Take a look below to see roughly what I saw when seated:
And here I am sitting in the hot seat not long before my ride began.
So I got wired up and connected to the equipment, and thankfully strapped in really tight, and it was time to get going.
The most nerve wracking part of the whole experience is that first couple of moments after you have been strapped in and you are waiting for it all to start.
And it’s not long before we are going – and it’s straight up to 3G for me! The whole ride lasts 15 seconds, and then it’s over. The worst part of the ride is the stop – basically the pod rotates back in and you experience a tumbling sensation. Take a look at the video below to listen to Alex explain the sensation better.
At all times I was being monitored by Dr Henry Lupa who is the Principle Medical Officer at QinetiQ and Chief Aeromedical Aerospace Medical Advisor and is also on the Virgin Galactic Medical Panel, so I was certainly in good hands. Henry was seated in the center of the centrifuge, so he was spinning with me, but where all I had to do was watch some lights, he was both monitoring my vitals and watching my eyes as well.
The reason I had to look at the lights was that my peripheral vision would start do go dark during the ride (which is the first signs of losing consciousness) and at that point I needed to push down with my feet in order to help counteract the effects of all the blood being pushed to my feet. I have to honest that I didn’t find it too bad, until my last ride when my vision almost instantly became effected and I had to push down hard. That was certainly an “interesting” experience.
I have to admit that riding in the centrifuge was amazing and a lot of fun. So much so I had another go – well actually I had three more spins ending with a 4G spin. At that point I probably would have done more but it seemed like a good time to stop!
So here is the video explaining exactly what we did (in a much better way that I could describe), along with the camera footage of me from inside the centrifuge during my four spins:
So that experience has got to be the strangest, and most exhilarating one I have ever done for Connected Digital World, and I highly recommend if you ever get the chance to experience a ride in a centrifuge yourself that you jump at the chance. Every single person enjoyed themselves, even those who really didn’t want to do it (you know who you are!). And after that those Necromorphs don’t seem quite as scary!
The Dead Space 3 playable demo is available now on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Ubisoft have announced that Might and Magic Clash of Heroes, the 2009 and 2011 award winner and critically acclaimed puzzle game has launched on iPhone and iPad at a price of £2.99.
Set in the Might and Magic universe, Might and Magic Clash of Heroes, is now coming on mobile platforms, adding new online features to this role-playing based game which blends together a story driven adventure and an innovative and dynamic combat system based on puzzle mechanics.
Initially released for Nintendo DS, the game had been exceptionally received by critics and a successful revamped HD version was released later on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade. This new mobile version of the game brings together the best of these two previous iterations, combining the natural touch based interface with beautiful HD graphics.
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes takes place 40 years before the Heroes V saga. Scattered across five different regions of Ashan, 5 special heroes must travel their own dangerous paths to grow in strength, unravel a demonic plot, and ultimately save the world from Chaos.
Create offensive or defensive unit formations, learn advanced combos and make the best of your spells and artefacts to build up the right strategy and overcome your enemies. Defeat the enemy heroes by crossing their armies in standard battles. Launch into special challenges and Boss fights where your strategic skills will be put to a severe test.
The Nike+ Kinect Training game has some new content in the form of the Upper Body and Core Workout pack.
Nike+ Kinect Training is a personalised training experience built from the ground up with athletic expertise and inspiration from Nike coupled with powerful and precise technology from Kinect for Xbox 360. Through the magic of Kinect, Nike+ Kinect Training can see how the body moves, assess physical strength and athleticism, identify areas for improvement and create a workout plan tailored to each person.
The brand new Upper Body and Core pack is a 15-minute workout with personalised drills to target your upper body, whilst burning calories. Your Nike trainer in the experience will select a mix of strengthening and toning drills combined with fun, intense cardio to help you reach your goals. This pack integrates with your ongoing Nike+ Kinect Training programme, adding on new, difficult drills as you progress.
This new pack costs 400 Microsoft points.
A Lower Body and Core pack is coming soon!
I have started my Nike+ Kinect Training regime and will be reporting back how I get on!
ESET have announced the release of its flagship products ESET Smart Security 6 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6.
ESET Smart Security 6 provides all-in-one internet security while ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 is a fast and powerful antivirus solution.The new generation provides even greater detection of infiltrations, improved cleaning and faster scanning due to the updated engine. Furthermore, features such as the ESET Social Media Scanner App come as standard with ESET Smart Security 6 as well as ESET NOD32Antivirus 6, protecting against Facebook threats. Customers in particular have valued ESET technology for the past 25 years because of reliable and fast detection.
Another important part of core technology enhancements is improved malware cleaning. A lot of focus has been dedicated to addressing challenging malware families, which resulted in a deeply revamped cleaning module that is even more effective in malware removal, as confirmed by an independent testing lab AV-Comparatives.
ESET Social Media Scanner protects social media users from malicious content, including their profile, wall, newsfeed and private messages, even when the user is not logged in. If an infection is found, a notification arrives by email, so that immediate action can be taken. The app also helps the user’s friends stay a safe distance from malicious content, checking their walls for potentially dangerous links. For more on the scanner, visit http://www.eset.com/social-media-scanner.
The Anti-Theft feature helps locate missing notebooks and makes it possible to monitor activity on lost or stolen devices, while the introduction of a dedicated Anti-Phishing module offers complex protection against digital identity theft.
According to the global Online Security Brand Tracker Survey*,worldwide protection against phishing websites is the most valued among computer users with 68% considering this function important, while protection against data theft is seen as the third most valued in AV products. In the latest AV-Comparatives Product Test**, ESET Smart Security 6 ranked as one of the most effective products blocking almost 94% of threats.The dedicated Anti-Phishing module in V6 includes an extended database of phishing sites as well as verified reports by users via http://phishing.eset.com. The Anti-theft feature was among the most popular, with 546 million respondents considering a worthwhile feature for deleting and locking the stored data in case a notebook is lost or stolen, as well as locating the missing device.The survey confirms that the majority of users, around 80% worldwide, do have a need to protect their data and devices on the go as they use notebooks to connect to the Internet.
Both Version 6 products have received the Windows 8 Certification and use the “Windows 8 Compatible” logo, they are available in the localised Microsoft’s Company Windows 8 Store.
Selected features and benefits of ESET Smart Security 6:
Anti-Theft– Automatically monitors a missing device and displays its position on a map based on visible Wi-Fi networks in range when it comes online.
Anti-PhishingModule – Protects the user from attempts to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or banking and credit card details by fake websites masquerading as trustworthy ones.
Personal Firewall – Prevents unauthorised users accessing the computer and taking advantage of personal data. The users can go online without worries to shop, bank and use social media.
Parental Control –Helps keep kids safe on the internet with categories of sites to block depending on age.
Idle-State Scanning – Performs in-depth scans when the computer is not used, aiding system performance and detecting potential inactive threats before they can cause any damage.
Selected features and benefits of both ESETNOD32 Antivirus 6and ESET Smart Security 6
ESET Social Media Scanner –it protects the social media user and their friends from malicious content, including profile, the wall, newsfeed and private messages.
Antivirus and Antispyware – Provides proactive protection against all types of online/offline threats and prevents malware spreading to other users.
Cloud-powered Scanning – Speeds up scans by whitelisting safe files based on ESET’s file reputation database.
Scan While Downloading Files – Decreases access time to downloaded files by scanning them already during the download process.
DVBLink TV Server for Freescale-based Synology NAS v4.5.2 has been released for public beta.
Currently the following sources of TV signal are supported:
DVBLink TVsource USB and network tuners:
– PCTV 460e (DVB-S/S2)
– PCTV 290e (DVB-T/T2)
– PCTV 73e (DVB-T)
– PCTV 73se (DVB-T)
– Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-TD (dual DVB-T)
– TBS 5980 CI (DVB-S/S2, including CI functionality)
– PCTV 801e (ATSC/QAM)
– Hauppauge 950Q (ATSC/QAM)
– HDHomeRun (dual DVB-T/C and ATSC/QAM)
– SAT>IP devices
DVBLink for Dreambox
– Supports all Dreambox models running latest PLi image
DVBLink for IPTV
– FTA (not encrypted) TV channels, delivered using HTTP, UDP, RTP or RTSP protocols
– IP-enabled web or security camera, producing h.264 video over RTP/RTSP
DVBLink TV Server for Freescale-based Synology NAS has been developed and tested for so-called “QorIQ” Synology NAS models: DS213+, DS413
It will not work on older “PowerQUICC” Synology NAS models.
Please follow these steps to install DVBLink TV Server on your Synology NAS:
– It is recommended to update your DSM version to the latest available stable version
– download DVBLink TV Server for Synology NAS v4.5.2 from the link below and install the package via DSM interface
– open DVBLink configuration interface (http://<server ip>:39876 and install required DVBLink packages
Notes:
– Synology VideoStation has to be disabled to run DVBLink TV Server
– Please connect your USB tuner to the Synology NAS before starting/installing DVBLink TV Server for Synology NAS package
– For the actual list of supported CAM modules by TBS 5980 tuner please refer to their web page: http://www.tbsdtv.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 958#p25958
Nordic Games has announced that ‘Medieval Horror’, the first multiplayer DLC pack for Painkiller Hell & Damnation, is out today for Windows PC.
Players now need to fight even harder to break Daniel Garner through the infernal gates of hell. The DLC pack introduces new epic boss battles against the White Demon and Assassin Greed who was named in remembrance of an assassin, John P. Greed.
The Medieval Horror multiplayer pack expands on Survival mode – players can now progress through a map in the same way they would in campaign mode while playing co-op. Fiends can now be destroyed using new environmental weapons in scenes of horrific demon slaying.
Painkiller Hell & Damnation was released for PC on October 31st2012. The campaign features an all-action crusade that can be played in single player mode, co-operative mode across four chapters, and several multiplayer-modes. A vast array of demons and fiends will be encountered along the way.
The full list of Medieval Horror DLC features includes:
– Expansion of the Survival mode
– New Survival mode: Boss Audience
– New boss and multiplayer skin: White Demon
– New enemy and multiplayer skin: Assassin Greed
– Environmental Weapon: Parcel Gun
– New Tarrot Card: Fear
– 1 brand-new multiplayer map called “Inhumator”
– 3 popular multiplayer maps (Psycho, Illuminati, Chaos) remade to the HD versions and also available in classic mode
Painkiller Hell & Damnation Medieval Horror DLC is available to download through Steam now priced £3.49.
Lenovo is reportedly considering the possibility of entering a partnership with BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM).
Chief financial officer Wong Wai Ming said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that the Canadian firm is one of several potential companies they could from ties with to boost their mobile division.
“We are looking at all opportunities – RIM and many others,” Bloomberg quotes the executive as saying. “We’ll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along that could benefit us and shareholders,”
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins recently sparked speculation that the company is considering moving away from hardware development when he admitted the sale of this division is one of several options currently under consideration.
However, he insisted that the launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system on January 30 is the immediate priority.
BB10 is viewed by some as RIM’s last chance to remain competitive in the marketplace following a dismal year marred by below-par sales and reputation-damaging service outages.
RIM is also said to be mulling over the possibility of licensing out BB10 to third-party manufacturers, but a move in this direction is dependent on the success of the platform.
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